Christ Our Life

You know, one of the privileges about being a pastor is just meeting people and seeing God change their lives.

And it's amazing the power of the gospel and what it does in our lives.

And so as I thought about the journey God has a watermark on and the people that he's allowed the church to continue to touch with the message of the gospel,

there's so many stories here.

And I know that Joey here is just one snapshot of so many amazing stories of God changing people.

And so I've asked just Joey to come up.

And she said she just started to get a little nervous, but I think you're great.

And I wanted just to ask you, so Joey and her husband come here.

You saw that they had their baby was dedicated.

Last time we did a baby dedication.

He's a really small guy.

I'm joking.

He's a kickboxer, international kickboxer.

And I just asked Joey to come up in as I think about people God has changed and in families that God is changing.

I just, it's amazing.

So would you share a little bit about yourself and your family?

Well, I'm from South Africa and my husband's from Cameroon and we met here in Hong Kong.

And, you know, it's a joke in our family that we both left Africa and met each other overseas in Asia.

And we have a lot of children.

You must have seen them.

Three.

Joshua, Noah, and Alina.

And we also joke we call them the African village.

So we left Africa to make our own village here in Hong Kong.

And I actually work for West Island School.

This is the school where I'm actually working.

We're at my office.

Welcome.

And Alina is a personal trainer and he does, he competes in kickboxing competitions as well.

I went on just, my kids go, you got to go on YouTube.

And I watched one of his matches there.

I think it lasted like 31 seconds or something like that.

Yes, it's not very long.

He bowed most of the time.

Yeah, yeah.

So as you guys think about your family and your coming here to Watermark, what are some things God has been doing in you lately or in your family?

Do you want to share some of that?

Well, a really big thing that happened this year for our family as such was in April this year, my husband was saved.

In April this year, my husband accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

And this was so amazing.

That's okay.

I never cry up here.

I know.

I've noticed.

Why?

You should cry sometime.

I prayed for him for years and I was actually saved when I was a teenager.

And, you know, I just forgot about God and went on with my life.

And I found him here when Alina and I were sort of struggling in our marriage.

And God showed me that I was making him and everything else the most important thing in my life when I should actually make God the most important person in my life.

And he made it so that he brought me literally down to my knees where I really had to come back to church and just spend my focus on him.

And during this time, I was baptized and I was just trying to be an example to my husband.

And, you know, he wasn't interested in going to church or meeting any friends from church.

I mean, even if we had some kind of gathering and I invited him, he was totally against it.

He was like, oh, church people, they are such hypocrites.

And I just continued to pray and pray.

And there were times where I really felt that I couldn't anymore.

I really couldn't anymore.

I felt lonely at the end of myself.

And I just wondered when God was going to save him because I couldn't carry our family anymore.

I felt like I was carrying our family solely with my prayers.

And I thought I was alone.

But in fact, I wasn't.

He really was.

Because our father was really carrying me.

And I didn't know that he was.

Now when I'm sitting here on the stool, I can't believe I sat here for last year's second anniversary back there.

I was pregnant.

I had my other baby.

And I thought, what am I doing here?

I'm so tired.

And my husband isn't here.

He should be here with me, helping me with my children and being in church together.

We should be serving the Lord together.

And that was that major thing that happened to our family.

It changed everything when he became saved.

It was so wonderful.

That's amazing.

Yeah.

I remember just praying with you after church and just sharing your story and just saying,

God, if God is here, then he's in control and he will work, right?

Yes.

I see that now.

It's amazing.

Yeah.

So if you think about this journey, even this last year, what would you say some of the things God's been teaching you about himself or about you?

Myself, I had to definitely change a lot.

I mean, I always thought, yeah, he needs to be saved.

He needs to know the Lord.

But I had to do some major changes as a wife.

And this is hard because, as you can see, I have a very strong personality, a big voice, and a very opinionated.

So I was always, you know, wanting to lead my husband when, in fact, even though he wasn't a Christian who saved, he's still the man of the house.

And my grandfather used to say, there can be only one captain.

And I never understood what he said that when I was a child growing up.

But then I realized afterwards, being a Christian wife or a Christian woman, this is, you know, you need to submit to your husband.

This is a word, a big word that I wasn't able to accept.

But I realized that the Bible teaches you that in your actions, you don't have to speak.

You just, by your actions, your wife can win over your husband.

And somehow, I don't know, maybe that's what happened.

I don't know.

A big thing in this year, also, I've noticed this big change where we pray together at night with our children.

We're reading the children's Bible together with Joshua.

Alina is making Joshua read the Bible, the section of Joshua.

And I was trying to read with Noah, who's two, and he doesn't speak.

So he was pointing and making all kinds of suggestions in his baby language.

But it was just wonderful.

Just that I'm sitting together with my family, and my husband is there, and he's willingly praying with us.

And I remember from the time that he was saved this year, unless he was traveling, he didn't miss a single community group.

I invited him to join our community group.

And he gladly joined, and he hasn't missed a single one.

And I remember one night, I was feeling tired, and I thought, oh, you know what?

Shall we just miss the group tonight?

And no, absolutely not, he says.

We are not missing community group.

I felt so ashamed.

Because I'm usually the one telling him to go to church.

Let's go to church before.

Now he's the one turning the tables on me.

So I thought that was just amazing.

Praise the Lord.

And one thing I used to send him, when he was not saved, I would send Bible scriptures to encourage him, which probably didn't mean anything to him.

He just thought maybe it was annoying.

I don't know.

But now he's sending me Bible scriptures.

So I just praise God and thank him for all these wonderful changes, especially in me.

A big change in me had to be made.

I had to change the way I speak, the way I act, or be just not my personality, but just follow the Bible's instruction of how I needed to be as a woman.

And we have peace in our house.

We have peace in our home.

And it's just wonderful.

I had to change.

And I didn't realize that.

It's hard for South Africans to change, right?

Yeah, yeah.

They're just terrible.

Wow.

Yeah.

Hey, we could talk forever and ever about your story.

It's amazing the blessings that God has done and the changes.

And I just remember so many times you felt like there was no hope and you just were clinging to God, even though you didn't know if he was there.

As you think about this last year or even we're celebrating this third anniversary, what is having the church here?

And I think specifically you have a very amazing community group.

Amazing community group.

Yeah, because we keep telling people.

Join us.

We keep telling people get in community group, get in community group, but people are like, ah.

Oh, yes.

But so what would you say has been a big point of having the church here in your life and then that community group?

That community group has really been, I'm telling you, I've leaned on them.

I cannot imagine not having them in my life.

They are really and truly my brothers and sisters.

I feel like I'm in a family.

I feel like I can call up this one and that one and I don't feel, oh, I'm bothering them in any way.

And it's such a wonderful feeling and it's such a coincidence that I've joined the group because I just couldn't make it to my other group.

And I was pregnant and tired and it was right in Kennedy Town and it was close by to walk and I needed to at least feed my spirit.

And I remember this beautiful email that I got from our community group leader, Mike.

And he wrote this long email saying, I heard that you wanted to join us and we're just really looking forward to meeting you.

Would you like to join us for a coffee or for lunch?

Just let us know when it's convenient for you.

We're happy to meet you.

And I thought, oh, thank God.

I was so lonely.

I was really desperately lonely.

I didn't have any Christian friends.

I had another group, but, you know, people are busy.

It's Hong Kong.

And, you know, you just feel, I just, I don't know.

There wasn't a connection.

And I prayed to God and I said, I cannot anymore.

You want me to continue and I promised you I will never leave you again like you promised you would never leave me.

But this is hard.

I've got, I'm two children, a husband that's not saved.

I'm pregnant.

I just feel exhausted.

And I need friends.

I need a family, a Christian family.

I'm alone here.

I'm far away from my family in South Africa.

Please send me someone.

Please send me friends, Christian friends, if you need, if you want me to continue.

And he sent me Kennedy Town Community Group.

They hounded me.

They wouldn't leave me alone.

Like I won't leave you alone.

All of you come join us.

And it was wonderful.

If they didn't do that, I would have been, I don't know what would have happened to me.

Because, I mean, they, they, the love.

Yeah.

There is so much love there.

And it's not even for, you don't have to force yourself.

You can feel that when you're in that group, people love each other.

We love each other.

And it's such a wonderful, generous, caring.

And this email really touched my heart.

I burst into tears again.

I cried when I read that email where they welcomed me.

And, and, and, um, it was just, it's just really wonderful.

Like when you're in a family and you, your brother and sister, is there something going on?

You haven't seen them for a while.

And you say, hey, where are you?

You keep on calling them.

And that's what they did to me.

And, and it just, I don't know, it just made a huge difference.

And they are the ones who brought me to Watermark Church.

And I haven't looked back since.

Watermark Church, I have to say, has also been, it's like a family year.

I cannot imagine not attending Watermark Church.

I feel like I'm home.

I feel like this is my church.

And this is exactly how you have to feel when you come to church.

Everybody says, hi, how are you?

Welcome.

And there's this genuine love here.

And you can feel the Holy Spirit here.

And I'm just so pleased.

All of this is a testament of how God was just wanting me to hold on so that he could bless me with Watermark and with our community, my community group, and with my brothers and sisters here.

Amen.

Thank you.

That's great.

I'm going to, I'm going to, yeah, that's amazing what God is doing.

I remember one time you told me, God, I feel like this group in this church is like a bulldog.

Exactly.

They've clamped on to me and they're not letting go.

They wouldn't let go of me.

Thank God they didn't.

Thank God.

Can I pray for you guys?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Father, please thank you for what you do in Joey's story, Elena's story of coming back and of finding, you finding him and you opening his eyes to your son.

And just the changes.

And we know that there's always highs and lows and low points.

And we just pray that they would always look back at your faithfulness, as we were just saying, 10,000 reasons.

And they would never doubt your goodness and that you're there, even in the hard and difficult times.

And so I thank you for this dear, precious family.

I pray for their three kiddos, the African tribe.

I pray that they would increase in Hong Kong, maybe not with brothers and sisters, but with friends who would fall in love with Jesus.

And they would plant their own church one day, a South African Hong Kong church.

And so, Father, we just thank you for what you're doing in their life.

And we love you.

And we pray these things in your son Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you.

Today's scripture reading comes from the book of Philippians, chapter 1, verses 12 to 30.

Philippians 1:12–30

Please follow along in your bulletins as we read a portion of this letter from the Apostle Paul.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

so that it has become known throughout the whole Imperial Guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.

And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment,

are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.

The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition,

not sincerely, but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.

What then?

Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth,

Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice.

For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

this will turn out for my deliverance,

as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed,

but that with full courage, now as always,

Christ will be honored in my body,

whether by life or by death.

For to me, to live is Christ, to die is gain.

If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me,

yet which I shall choose, I cannot tell.

I am hard-pressed between the two.

My desire is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is far better.

But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

So convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all,

for your progress and joy in the faith,

so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus,

because of my coming to you again.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,

so that whether I come and see you or am absent,

I may hear of you, that you are standing firm in one spirit,

with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

and not frightened in anything by your opponents.

This is a clear sign to them of their destruction,

but of your salvation and that from God.

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ,

you should not only believe in him,

but also suffer for his sake,

engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had,

and now hear that I still have.

This is the reading of God's word.

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning, everyone.

Good morning.

Happy birthday, Watermark.

Happy birthday, Watermark.

Happy birthday.

There we go.

We're waking up now.

My name, if you don't know me,

my name is Eric Scott.

I am the youth guy here,

and as I guess may sort of be a prerequisite for the youth guy job,

I sometimes do crazy and stupid things.

Things that if I thought through them ahead of time,

I would not have done,

but fail to think through them ahead of time

and thus end up doing them.

About three years ago,

I was at a cookout at my friend Alfie's house.

He's on staff here at Watermark,

and his dad came up to me,

and he said,

Eric, I have two questions for you,

one about fitness and one about availability.

Now, as I'm sure you can guess,

he wasn't just asking as a friend

how I'm doing in terms of my fitness level.

No, he had ulterior motives,

and he said to me,

I am signed up for this hike called the Trail Walker.

Some of you know.

The Trail Walker is a 100-kilometer hike

starting in Saikung going to Toon Moon.

You do it in one straight shot,

and you need a team of four,

and his team only had three.

He said,

we want you to be our fourth.

Do you think that you're in good enough shape to do this,

and do you have time to train with us?

I said,

I'm not really sure.

Can I maybe do a trial hike

and see if I can keep up with you guys?

He's like, sure.

I met up with them at Parkview one Saturday morning.

We hiked to Stanley and then back to Quarry Bay.

As we're getting back to Quarry Bay,

I told them,

that's it.

I quit.

I'm done.

Forget about this.

They said,

no, Eric.

You did a great job.

You kept up with us the entire way.

We really think you'd be great on this team.

Somehow convinced me to come back for a second hike.

Then it just never ended.

I ended up being a part of that team.

In preparation for the Trail Walker,

you do a lot of training.

You hike up hills and down hills

and up more hills and down hills.

You go from point A to point B,

but you don't just take a straight line.

You go out and around and up over hills.

Even though A to B is just flat and straight and easy,

you go up and over hills and around

and take the most out-of-the-way direction

that you can to get there

because you've got to get in shape.

You go around and you find clothes that are comfortable.

You try out different clothes combinations

to see what works and doesn't work.

You plan out for the day of the event,

where are we going to eat?

Where are we going to take rests?

Where are we going to change our clothes?

Because you don't want to go 100K in the same clothes.

You switch out to dry stuff along the way.

Finally, after all that training,

after all that preparation,

you show up and it's the day of the Trail Walker.

You've got 100 kilometers to go.

From the moment that that race starts,

your mind is fixed on one goal.

Everything that you do,

everything that you think,

everything that you say

is done with the purpose of reaching that finish line.

At some point, you may feel this burst of energy,

but you don't run on ahead

because you know that you're going to need

to conserve that energy.

You have your eyes fixed on this goal

and you do everything

for the purpose of achieving that one goal.

You press on.

You get tired, but you keep going.

By the time you reach the end of your 100 kilometers,

for some people,

some insane people do it in 11 1⁄2 hours.

You're allowed up to 48.

My group took 26 hours.

By the time you reach the end of your 100 kilometers,

you are sweaty, you are gross,

you are smelly, you are tired, exhausted,

physically and emotionally.

It's as much a mental battle as a physical one.

But you are all of these things

because your goal has not been

to look pretty for the ladies

for the last 100 kilometers.

Your goal has not been to smell pretty for the ladies

for the last 100 kilometers.

Your goal hasn't been to be comfortable.

Your goal has been to reach the finish line.

And you reach that finish line

and you have achieved your goal.

And this single focus that you have

while you're on that trail,

it's something that's relatively short-lived.

It lasts maybe a day, two days.

But for some people,

they live their lives

with this type of singular focus.

And one person in the Bible

who is a very great example

of what it looks like

to live life with this singular focus

is a man named Paul.

For those of you who don't know about Paul,

he started out as someone

whose job it was to go around

and arrest and or kill Christians.

He was on the road one day,

headed to a town called Damascus,

ready to arrest some more Christians,

when all of a sudden,

God appeared to him and said,

why are you persecuting me?

Paul was like,

who is this talking to me?

And the voice says,

I am Jesus who you are persecuting.

And from that day on,

Paul's life was transformed.

From that day on,

Paul trusted in Jesus.

Paul made it his goal

in everything that he did in life

to live for Jesus,

to know Jesus,

to tell people about Jesus.

He traveled around

and he would start churches.

And as he traveled around,

he would write letters

to some of the churches

that he had started before

to keep in touch with them,

check in on how they're doing,

sometimes correct some problems

that were happening

in these churches.

And one of those letters

has been saved in our Bible

as the book of Philippians.

It was written to a church

in a town called Philippi.

That's why they call it the Philippians.

And Philippians is unique

for Paul's letters.

In a lot of Paul's letters,

he writes to the churches

and he says,

you know,

you guys have this major problem.

Here's how to fix it.

With Philippians,

there are some minor issues

at the church,

but in general,

he's writing to them saying,

you guys are doing good.

Keep it going.

Stay strong.

Follow Christ.

Here's how I'm doing.

Thanks for your help

in my ministry.

It's a positive,

encouraging letter

on the whole.

And one theme

that comes out

again and again

and again and again

throughout the book

of Philippians

is Paul's single focus

in life

on knowing Christ,

on living for Christ

and on making Christ famous

throughout the world.

And so for the next four weeks

here at Watermark,

we are going to be looking

through the book of Philippians,

looking at this single focus

in Paul's life

and we're going to be looking at it

from a number of different angles.

And today,

we're starting out

at the very beginning,

which is a good place to start,

in chapter one.

If we jump in chapter one,

he starts out with a greeting

for his friends.

Here's,

you know,

I'm thankful for you guys.

I love you guys.

And in verse 12,

he starts updating them

on what's going on

in his life at this time.

And that's where

we're going to start out.

He says,

I want you to know,

brothers,

that what has happened to me

has really served

to advance the gospel

so that it has become known

throughout the whole

imperial guard

and to all the rest

that my imprisonment

is for Christ.

And most of the brothers,

having become confident

in the Lord

by my imprisonment,

are much more bold

to speak the word

without fear.

So we see here,

as Paul is writing

this letter to his friends,

he is sitting in prison.

But he doesn't,

he's not just sitting there

wasting away.

He has a single goal in life

of knowing Christ

and making Christ known.

So while he is in prison,

what is he doing?

He's telling everyone

in the prison about Jesus.

This is great irony.

They put Paul in prison

to try and captivate him

and captivate his message,

but in the process,

they actually gave him

a captive audience

who couldn't run away

when he started talking to them.

And Paul is in this prison,

he's talking to the guards,

and he's excited

because through his time in prison,

all of the guards

have gotten to hear about Jesus.

And he's saying,

me being in prison,

that's not a bad thing,

that's a good thing.

Everyone here

has heard about Jesus.

And not only that,

but the other Christians

that are outside the prison,

they heard about me

being put here,

and they have been encouraged

to share their faith as well.

So I don't need to be out there

because everyone else

is out there

and the fact that I'm in here

is making them more excited

about telling everyone else

in their world about Jesus.

He says, yeah,

some of them have good motives,

some have bad motives,

but regardless of the motives,

they're telling their friends

about Jesus.

Jesus is being made famous

and in that,

I will rejoice.

Paul has a single focus in life

of knowing Jesus

and making him known.

And because of that single focus,

he is rejoicing

even though he is locked up in prison,

even though he is stuck there

and can't leave,

even though he sees

that this imprisonment

could lead to his death.

As we move forward

in this chapter,

he explicitly states

what this goal in life is.

If you move forward

to chapter,

or verse 19,

he says,

for I know that

through your prayers

and the help of the spirit

of Jesus Christ,

this will turn out

for my deliverance

as it is my eager expectation

and hope

that I will not be at all ashamed,

but with full courage,

now as always,

Christ will be honored

in my body,

whether by life

or by death.

Paul's goal

is to honor Christ

in everything that he does.

As he looks

at his current circumstances,

locked up

in this prison,

he doesn't look around

and say,

I'm uncomfortable.

I'm hungry.

I wish that I could sleep

in my own bed at night

and be free

to go be with my friends.

No, he says,

my goal

is that Jesus

would be made famous

through everything

in my life.

If I live,

I want Jesus

to be made famous

through that.

If I get killed,

I want Jesus

to be made famous

through that.

Regardless of what happens

to me,

regardless of what people

think about me,

if my life

and my death

can make Jesus famous,

that for me is a win.

He continues on

by saying,

for to me,

to live is Christ.

Paul's focus in life

was so single,

so focused,

that if he boiled down

his entire life

to one word,

the word

that he chose

to describe his life

is Christ.

Now,

we live in Hong Kong.

We understand

the concept,

I think most of us

at least,

understand this concept

of having a single

focus in life.

We've got bankers

and lawyers

who will spend

100 plus hours a week

at the office.

That is a single

focus in life.

A couple months ago,

there was an article

in the South China

Morning Post

about a top banker

in Hong Kong

who had dropped dead

from stress

from overwork.

The article said,

this is actually

something that's happened

a number of times

in the past couple years

in Hong Kong,

that bankers

have just overworked

themselves

to the point

that their bodies

physically cannot

handle it anymore

and they have dropped

dead from stress

from overwork.

And the article

speculated

that banking

in Hong Kong

is more and more

becoming

a test of endurance

not just

in terms of

whether you can

do the job

but in terms

of whether your body

can handle

the stress

of the job.

And the article

was speculating

that more and more

it won't be

a question of

can this person

do the job

but can this person's

body take

the stress

without them

dropping dead

to qualify

whether you can

be a successful

banker in Hong Kong.

Now that type

of a situation

only exists

in a city

where people

live with

a single focus.

The single focus

of being successful

at work

the single focus

of making

lots and lots

of money

the single focus

of being

the best.

We understand

what it looks

like

to live

with a single

focus

but do we

understand

what it looks

like

to live

with a single

focus

on Christ?

For Paul

this meant

that everything

that he did

in life

was done

with the goal

of honoring

Christ.

Every word

that he said

every night

that he spent

in prison

every time

that he got

beaten

for sharing

his faith

every time

that he got

run out

of cities

for sharing

his faith

he did it

with a single

goal.

He didn't look

back in despair

and say

oh I wish

I could have

made more

friends in that

city so I

could have

been more

popular.

No he had

a single

goal.

I want

Jesus to

be made

famous

through my

life.

To live

is Christ

and so in

everything

that I do

that is

what I

want.

What would

it look like

if in our

lives we

could truly

say

to live

is Christ

if we

took the

word Christ

out of

this statement

to live

is

what?

For Paul

he goes

on and

he

strengthens

this

statement

he follows

it up

with another

statement

that I

think is

shocking.

He says

to live

is Christ

and to

die

is gain.

Now I

want to

correct a

possible

misunderstanding

here.

Paul is

not sitting

here in

prison

despairing

oh my

life sucks

so bad

I wish I

could just

be free

from all

the troubles

that are

going on

right now.

death is

gain because

it's a

means of

escape.

That is

not what

Paul is

saying.

And I

know for

some people

in here

right now

it could

be a

tough time

in life

and it

could be

very tempting

to read

this passage

in that

way.

But hear

me that

is not

what Paul

is saying.

And if

you are

going through

a time

like that

where you're

struggling

saying I

don't know

what's going

on in

life I

really wish

I had a

means of

escape.

We have

an amazing

pastoral

care

ministry

here at

Watermark.

And I

would strongly

recommend that

you get in

touch with

them.

The email

address is

in the

bulletin.

It's

care at

watermarkchurch.hk

and we

would love

to get you

connected with

them so

you can

find help.

But that

is not what

Paul is

saying.

Paul is

not saying

I see

death as

a means

of escape.

No,

if you look

at what

he's saying

he's saying

I'm

rejoicing,

I'm

happy,

I'm

excited about

what is

happening in

my life.

To live

is Christ

but I

see death

as something

even better

than that.

The word

gain here

actually means

getting something,

attaining something

that you don't

already have.

as Paul looks

at his life

he says

life is

amazing,

I'm

rejoicing,

Jesus is

being made

famous,

my life

is

Christ

but death

is gain

because in

my death

I will

obtain

something

that I

don't yet

have or

maybe more

accurately

I'll obtain

more of

something

that I

already

have.

See

Paul's

statement

that to

die is

gain

is building

on his

statement

that to

live is

Christ

because to

live is

Christ

and to

die

is more

Christ.

To die

is to be

free from

the sin

that separates

us from

Christ.

To die

is to

be with

Christ

and have

what we

have right

now

on a

greater,

grander,

more majestic

scale.

And that is

why Paul

can sit

there in

this prison

and say

to live

is Christ

to die

is gain

because he

sees that

as a

hope.

He sees

the promise

of something

greater.

As Paul

says this,

we have to

understand that

this statement

to die is

gain is

deeply,

deeply rooted

in Paul's

belief in

a literal,

literal,

physical

resurrection

from the

dead.

Paul in

his teachings

clearly

teaches

that Jesus'

resurrection,

physical,

in a body,

is the model

for what

will happen

for us

as Christians

someday.

That there

will be

a physical

resurrection.

That this

life,

when we

die,

that's

not the

end,

but there's

more.

We'll have

new bodies

just like

Jesus.

We will

be with

Jesus.

We will

be free

from the

sin

that plagues

us in

this life.

We'll be

free from

the suffering

that plagues

us in

this life.

And Paul

held on

to that

belief,

held on

to that

hope.

He

believed

that when

he died,

it would be

gained

because he

would have

this new

body.

He would

have this

new

relationship

with Jesus.

For Paul,

the real

distinction

going on

right here

is not

life and

death.

It's

life and

more

life.

It's

Jesus

and more

Jesus.

And so

Paul writes

this letter

from a

prison

with hope

because he

sees that

Jesus is

so much

greater

than anything

that the

Romans can

do to him

to try and

stop him

from spreading

this message.

So as I

looked at

this passage

this week

and I

thought about

what would

this look

like in

my life

if I

lived with

this singular

passion?

How could

I live

with this

singular

passion?

And what

am I

supposed to

do with

Paul's

statements

about this

singular

passion?

It has

for me

to do

and I'm

excited to

keep doing

that.

But I

know that I

have this

hope that

someday in

the future

it will

be even

better.

And as I

thought about

what this

could look

like in

our lives

I was

reminded of

the story

of one

of my

friends

Justin

and so

I've

asked him

to come

share with

us a

little bit

today

about his

story.

the first

thing I

asked Justin

to do

is I

asked him

to take

this

statement

to live

as Christ

and to

die as

gain

and to

cut the

words

Christ

and to

die

out of

that

statement.

You have

a card

on your

seat.

I

basically

asked him

to fill

in the

blanks

on that

card.

And

Justin

what was

the answer?

You can

sit down

if you

want but

you don't

have

to.

What

was the

answer

that you

gave for

that?

My

answer

is to

leave

is to

win

and

approval

is gain.

And so

you said

you filled

in the

same words

for before

and after

you became

a Christian

right?

Right.

But what

did those

words mean

to you

before you

became a

Christian?

Before I

was a

Christian

to win

means to

win

competitions

between

peers.

So I

raised in

a family

where my

parents have

high

expectations

of me

and my

siblings.

I have

twin

sisters

Edie.

That's

why I

always get

involved

in sibling

competitions.

My mom

expects me

to get

100 marks

even if

I get

99.9.

So

and my

definition

of approval

is that

I understand

that victory

precedes

approval

for my

families,

for my

siblings,

and for

my friends

and everybody

who knows

me.

and I

eagerly

waited for

next chance

to prove

myself,

to prove

my value

and my

worth.

I wanted

to prove

to people

that I'm

able to

achieve.

And this

determination

and drive

has motivated

me to be

more excellent

and to be

better.

And to be

better,

at least I feel

about myself

and I never

want to let

go of this

motivation,

at least.

Yeah.

So can

you tell

us the

story of

the night

when you

met Jesus?

Yeah.

So there's

one time

that I

was engaged

in a

debating

competition

and I

lost a

debate

and my

coach

Edmund

brought

me to

a dinner

place and

he started

sharing about

Christianity

and his

determination

and drive

to teach

in my

school.

He talked

about his

relationship

with Christ

which is

really weird

to me

because I've

never imagined

a relationship

with somebody

that you

don't get to

see.

And so

he spoke

powerful words

to me.

He pointed

at people

around me,

these people

who are

powerful,

wealthy,

of high

setting society

and he

said this,

everyone

is sinful

and he

literally says

everyone.

And I was

like,

these people

are exactly

the people

I want to

be.

These people

are successful

and it might

drive in

determination

is I

want to

be people

like this

and if

your statement

is true

then all

my hope

in this

world

has vanished.

And so

I'm really

serious about

his sentence.

I want to

defend

whether

I want

to prove

him wrong.

And so

I kept

thinking about

this and

he shared

about what

sin is and

what Christianity

is and

he shared

about his

experience

in the

business

world

and how

he could

get glamour

and wealth

in the

business

world

but now

his calling

is to

teach

and how

he removed

himself

from the

business

world

to a

teaching

field.

And that

shows me

a great

example

of what

Christ is

and the

single purpose

and single

focus of

a Christian

life.

It's where

you want

to follow

a calling

instead of

to get

approval

which

was

something

I wanted

to get.

And so

Edmund took

time to

get to know

you guys

and talk

with you

guys about

Jesus.

Edmund is

a really

dedicated

teacher.

He spent

a lot

of time

coaching me

about debating.

Sometimes I kept

him until

9 o'clock at

10 just for

my training

and he

sometimes

just told

me a joke

like,

Justin,

you have to

let me go.

If not,

tomorrow I will

be single.

Yeah,

I just want

to throw

a comment

in there.

Justin is

an amazing

example of

what can

happen when

we take

time to

invest in

young people's

lives.

I want to

encourage you

guys,

if you aren't

doing this

already,

find some

young people

around the

church that

you can get

involved in

and invest

in because

it really

does make

a difference

in their

lives.

So Justin,

after that

evening,

how did

your definition

of winning

and approval

change?

My newfound

definition of

to win

is to

win spiritual

battles with

the power

of God.

I mean,

there are

divisions,

chapter 6,

verse 10

says,

finally be

strong in

the Lord

and the

strength of

his might,

put in the

whole armor

of God,

that you

might be

able to

stand against

the schemes

of the devil.

So I mean,

now as a

Christian,

the single

purpose of

life is to

fight a

battle,

the spiritual

battle with

the power

of God.

And my

newfound

definition of

approval is

also different

in the sense

that this

approval is

not from

people,

is from

Jesus,

is from

God,

where this

is not

achieved by

my own

power,

it's achieved

by Jesus

dying on the

cross.

And I have

to trust that,

I have to put

my trust in

Jesus and

believe that

his power is

greater than

mine and I

can rely on

his power in

everything I do.

And as you

think about

how these

definitions

change for

you,

can you

share with

us an

example of

a time

since you

became a

Christian

where that

made a

difference in

your life?

I want to

share an

experience about

me getting

into an

interview for

an outstanding

student award

competition where

I got a

really personal

interview from

the judges.

So I was

asked questions

about my

personal belief,

where I find

value in,

and also

questions for

me to talk

about myself

eventually.

And so there

is a struggle

between me

about should I

manipulate the

performance to

hide my

weaknesses and

present like a

perfect Justin

to the judges

or should I be

honest about

myself to

accept who I

am as son

of God and

to just

present my

whatever I

am and find

satisfaction who

I am.

So it's this

struggle to gain

approval from

the judges or

the approval

of God.

And I knew

exactly if I

want to present

myself honestly,

I might have

to fall short

of their

expectations.

I might have

to lose the

competition.

But eventually

I come up with

this.

It's better to

have an impact

on these judges

and fall short

of their

expectations than

to hide the

light.

Because I want

to shine a

light and have

a strong

impact on them.

I think that's

more important.

awesome.

Thanks for

sharing.

Is there

anything else

you wanted

to say?

All right.

Thanks for

sharing.

Thank you.

I think that's

an awesome

picture of the

impact that

living with this

singular focus

in life makes.

And so as we

come close to

the close today,

I want us to

think about what

it is that we

are living for.

On each of

your chairs we

put a little

card.

It looks like

this, only

smaller.

It says,

to live is

blank.

Blank is

gain.

As we go

throughout our

weeks this

week, I want

us to take

some time and

think about what

do we put in

the blank in

our lives.

Because, at

least for me, I

know that far

too often the

words that go

here are not

Christ and the

words that go

here are not

to die.

If I'm being

really honest,

more often it

probably says,

to live is

success.

Continued

excellence at

everything is

gain.

As I look at

the story of

the gospel and

think about who

God is and what

he's done, I

realize that when

I come to him

for salvation, he

doesn't care about

my success.

He doesn't want

my success.

Actually, the

only thing I

contribute to my

salvation is my

failure to obey

him and my need

for him to save

me.

And that he

saves me not

only despite my

failures, but

because of my

failures.

My failures are

what makes me

need a savior.

And success

isn't a bad

thing.

Excellence isn't a

bad thing.

But when I take

them and I make

them ultimate in

life, I live in a

way that contradicts

the gospel I say I

believe.

And so my

challenge for you

is think through

what goes in the

blanks in your

life.

And how do you

know if the

answers you gave

are accurate?

Someone pointed

out to me this

week that what

we're living for

will determine what

we are willing to

suffer for.